Exo-Calibre Review

Exo-Calibre showed up totally random in my mailbox mailinglists (from the publisher), I had never heard of it before.

So naturally i had to check out more about it, as it looked like a retro styled vertical shoot ’em up, you know, my favourite genre of all time.

The Presentation of Exo-Calibre…

I didn’t really know what to expect after that Montezuma’s Revenge travesty, but I can safely say that this is back to typical Eastasiasoft retro style games.

You can choose between three lovely anime-style characters, each wielding a different weapon—and for once in a modern game, that choice actually matters. That said, all three remain fully viable, so it’s more about playstyle than difficulty.

The shop looks fantastic as well. While upgrades don’t come cheap, each purchase delivers a noticeable jump in power, and the ability to buy extra health and lives makes progression feel both fair and rewarding.

It also has to be said: the CRT filter works exceptionally well here. With a game this clean and simplistic, the effect adds real character rather than visual noise.

Vertical Shoot ‘Em Up Madness…

While Exo-Calibre proudly labels itself a bullet-hell shooter, I’m not entirely sold on that claim. Sure, the screen fills up with projectiles, but this isn’t the kind of hardcore danmaku where pixel-perfect dodging is mandatory just to survive the first minute. Dodging here is demanding, but fair—and most importantly, fun.

A big reason for that is the melee/dodge mechanic, which works surprisingly well. It may soften the difficulty a little too much for purists, but honestly? I’ll take this over an unforgiving, quarter-munching nightmare any day. It keeps the pace flowing and the action readable, without turning the game into a frustration simulator.

The stages manage to feel fresh as you play, even though they stick closely to classic shmup territory—water zones, sandy areas, deep space, the usual suspects. Familiar, yes, but never dull.

You’re also given a generous amount of lives, and strangely enough , you got unlimited lives in the Story Mode.

There is a story here as well, but if you’ve followed this blog for any length of time, you already know my stance on storylines in games like this…

As for modes, the game offers several, but the ones you’ll spend most of your time with are Story, Arcade, and Boss Rush—which is exactly where a game like this should shine.

The Final Verdict…

Exo-Calibre feels like a genuine throwback to the early 8-bit and 16-bit era—a game that simply works. Gameplay, mechanics, and overall design all click together exactly as intended, and there’s very little to complain about.

The only real oddity is the apparent infinite lives situation, which still feels strange and slightly out of place.

The music deserves a special mention: it’s excellent, memorable, and perfectly suited to the game’s pacing.

Speaking of pace, Exo-Calibre is relatively slow and forgiving, which makes it highly accessible.

This is the kind of shooter most players can enjoy without white-knuckling the controller or rage-quitting halfway through.

There’s also a Platinum trophy on offer, and it shouldn’t be too punishing for most players—always a nice bonus if you like squeezing everything out of a game.

All things considered, this is a solid, well-crafted title, and at the sweet price of just $6.99, it’s an easy recommendation.

The game is out now on most current platforms.

Key supplied by the publisher.

Trailer below—enjoy. 🎮✨